7 AW15 Styling Tips To Try Now

Making Sense Of Menswear

We’re at a strange point in the menswear year. Spring/summer 2015 collections are now in stores, autumn/winter 2014 sales are thawing out, and next season’s autumn/winter 2015 collections have been shown and will be on sale in around five months’ time. It’s a bit of a fashion maelstrom, so what’s a man to make of it all?

The good news is that – despite the proliferation of brands and an increase in market size overall – menswear still moves at a slower pace in comparison to womenswear, which means there’s less jarring difference between seasons.

With this in mind, we’re set to break down some of the styling tricks we spotted at the AW15 fashion weeks and show you how to work them into your own wardrobe right now – without breaking the bank.

1. Roll Necks Under Suits

Pretty much the definition of effortless elegance, the roll neck has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity over the past year or so. And for autumn/winter 2015, stylists again viewed it as the perfect partner to a suit.

Seen everywhere from Margaret Howell to Gieves & Hawkes, the roll neck adds a smart, sculptural touch to your tailoring, all the while being a damn sight more comfortable to wear than a shirt and tie.

Cult Swedish label Our Legacy combined thick, ribbed versions with relaxed-fitting suits for a modern take on 1980s formal wear, while Kris Van Assche’s triumphant show teamed beautifully-cut tailoring with abstract patterned roll necks in green and blue for a look that was half mod, half futuristic.

Why not try a thin gauge, solid-coloured roll neck (light grey, burgundy and mustard all work particularly well) with a pinstripe suit (a key SS15 trend) for an idiosyncratic outfit that strikes the perfect smart-casual note?

Lookbook Inspiration

Key Pieces

He By Mango Turtleneck Cotton T-shirt

River Island Knitted Roll Neck Jumper

Peter Werth Roll Neck

Topman Burgundy Salt And Pepper Lightweight Roll Neck Jumper

Burton Blue Roll Neck Jumper

Topman Navy Jersey Roll Neck Jumper

Austin Reed Twist Roll Neck Jumper

John Smedley Belvoir Merino Wool Rollneck Sweater

John Smedley Belvoir Rollneck Merino Wool Sweater

2. Badges Are Back

Having managed to shake off their student/graduate vibes, pins made a prominent return for autumn/winter 2015.

Maybe it’s a retro thing (think 1960s political badges), or perhaps it’s a reference to Japanese labels such as FPAR and Undercover who have included them in their collections for years – but badges and pins were used on jackets, ties and even trousers as a way to make subtle tailoring pop.

Why not follow suit? A badge or pin is an easy way to introduce personality to an otherwise fairly sober look. And it’s fairly inexpensive too. Just bear in mind that although punk-inspired, ironic designs are fine for casual outfits, you’ll want to go a little more luxe (think Lanvin lapel pins) when dressing up.

Need inspiration? We like Andrew Bunney’s sterling silver styles. The London-based jeweller started out in 2009 and has since garnered a dedicated following for his masterfully crafted, hand-engraved badges – a charming way to add that extra something to your ensemble.

Lookbook Inspiration

Key Pieces

Reclaimed Vintage Leaf Lapel Pin

Alice Made This William Knotted Cord Steel Tie Pin

Lanvin Onyx Ball Tie Pin 1014395

River Island Red Ruffle Rose Lapel Pin

Austin Reed Mother Of Pearl Button Lapel Pin

Designsix Silver Lapel Pin

Bunney Limited Edition Diamond Jubilee Silver Badge

Bunney For Oki-ni Hallmarked Leopard Badge

Next Silver Lapel Badges

Givenchy Basketball Badge

Tateossian Pendulum Swarovski Crystal Tie Pin

Asos Boat Tie Pin

3. Jackets On Jackets

No, we’re not talking rock-inspired blazers over hoodies combinations, but something altogether more contemporary. As the breadth of men’s outerwear styles grows, so does the potential for creating on point layered looks.

Storied Parisian label Lanvin’s autumn/winter 2015 show served up plenty of inspirational takes on outerwear layering, from an ash grey overcoat worn over a chocolate brown leather topcoat to a contrast sleeve python-fronted bomber thrown over an oversized checked suit jacket.

Elsewhere, Tom Ford layered a parka on top of a denim jacket and a mac over a popped collar leather jacket, while legendary tailoring brand Hardy Amies played with colour contrasts between suits and outerwear.

As ill-advised as some of these combinations might sound, they each looked fresh, exciting and wearable in reality. Isn’t it high time we had a little fun with layering, rather than seeing it solely as a means to keep us warm?

For now, why not try a denim jacket underneath a cotton mac or a boldly coloured suit jacket underneath a lightweight technical jacket in a neutral hue?

At Joseph, box fresh pairs were teamed with black leather trousers and relaxed navy/grey double-breasted suits, while over at Topman Design, white hi-tops brought a contemporary edge to a predominantly seventies-inspired collection.

The key to nailing this look is getting your choice of kicks right: they should be leather, bright white (no off-white variants), and with minimal to no detailing.

Team with your current separates collection for dress-down Friday in the office, or raw denim and a biker jacket at the weekend.

Lookbook Inspiration

Key Pieces

Reiss Jack Purcell Leather Jack Purcell Trainers White

Common Projects Achilles Low-top Trainers

Adidas Originals Stan Smith Perforated Leather Sneakers

Acne Studios Adrian Grained-leather Sneakers

Selected Homme Dylan Leather Trainers

Garment Project Leather Trainers In White

5. Sizeable Scarves

It was a case of the bigger, the better when it came to scarves at the autumn/winter 2015 shows.

While Burberry Prorsum’s chunky, sumptuous fringed designs provided a crowning glory to the collection’s colourful get-ups, at J.W. Anderson they came replete with sumptuously soft tassels and were draped over the top of outfits for a statement effect.

Although mankets aren’t exactly the epitome of practical fashion, a hulking scarf teamed with sharp tailoring is a look designers have decided is set to be big for the more confident among us.

6. Backpacks With Suits

While it feels like this combination has been shown in hundreds of fashion editorials and street style shots over the past few years, autumn/winter 2015 was arguably the first season it really ‘clicked’ on the runways, being shown in collections from stalwarts such as Zegna and Hardy Amies.

If you think about it, suits are the backbone of many of our day-to-day wardrobes, while backpacks are the ultimate way for on the go men to lug their stuff around. The key with making this one work is steering well clear of anything that wouldn’t look out of place in a classroom or on a mountain trek.

The key with making this one work is to opt for sleek and stylish designs – like an all-over navy canvas number or a luxurious black leather style. If you’d prefer to go for something more utilitarian, make sure it comes off more sports luxe than ski holiday.

Key Pieces

Rains Messenger Backpack In Green

Sandqvist Hege Backpack

Asos Smart Leather Backpack

Reiss Raza Leather Backpack Black

Want Les Essentiels Kastrup Leather Backpack

Mismo Leather-trimmed Cotton-canvas Backpack

7. Smart Coat, Casual Denim

The juxtaposition of beautifully tailored overcoats and relaxed, easy denim showed up in a number of autumn/winter 2015 shows, producing a pleasing contrast with one element dressing down (or dressing up) the other.